Merrill Kelly's Terrific Outing Wasted in Extra Inning Loss

The Diamondbacks mistakes piled up, eventually leading to a 6-5 Yankees victory in 11 innings

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Merrill Kelly (29) watches the action from the dugout against the Yankees / Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY

With the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the 11th inning, Diamondbacks relief pitcher Scott McGough stood at the plate gamely fighting off 95 MPH fastballs from Yankee left-hander Caleb Ferguson. It was his first at bat since his time playing in Japan. The fact that a relief pitcher with no major league batting experience was put in that position with his team down 6-5 speaks volumes about this mistake filled game.

McGough battled, working the count 1-1, before fouling off a pitch to go down in the count 1-2. The last pitch of the game was well off the plate, but home plate umpire Brian Walsh called it a strike, putting an end to a frustrating afternoon for Torey Lovullo and the Diamondbacks.

Merrill Kelly pitched another terrific game, going seven innings, giving up two runs on five hits, walking one, and striking out four. He pitched to the minimum through the first three innings, giving up just a lone single, but a double play erased that runner. He was touched up in the fourth however, giving up a two run homer to Aaron Judge. The pitch was a 1-0 sinker that stayed in the middle of the zone, and Judge knocked it into the pool area to opposite right centerfield.

"Obviously I would like to have that Judge pitch back" Kelly said. "Just a sinker that was supposed to be away, it just leaked back over the middle." Despite that one mistake, overall it was another masterful performance by one of the best pitchers in the National League.

Kelly threw six different pitches at least 10 times or more, the first time he's done that in his career. The new, upgraded slider has become a good weapon for him. "I was happy with [the slider]. I think I gauge it with when I'm not getting hurt on a certain pitch it's probably playing pretty well. I got some good swing and miss on it"

Kelly left the game with the score tied 2-2. Blaze Alexander hit his first career home run off of left-hander Carlos Rodon in the second inning. That staked Kelly to an early 1-0 lead prior to the Judge homer. Ketel Marte, who earlier collected his 1000th career hit with a leadoff double in the first, homered in the fifth to tie the game. It was right after that the mistakes started to kick in for the Diamondbacks.

The first miscue was a base running error by Corbin Carroll. He followed Marte's two out homer with a groundball up the right field line, cruising into second base with a double. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. drew a walk, and then slugger Christian Walker stepped up to the plate. Incredibly, Carroll got picked off second, and was tagged out at third to end the inning. It was Carroll's second caught stealing attempt this year, and this one had his manager steaming mad. Immediately after the inning ended, Lovullo could be seen quickly leaving the dugout and heading down the tunnel.

"I went into blackout stage when that happened", Lovullo said. "I'm still coming out of that, and I was so mad I don't know what happened....I'm not happy with what happened there. We need to be better."

In the sixth inning there was another base running mistake adding to Lovullo's displeasure. Eugenio Suarez hit a one out double. Alexander followed by drawing a tough walk after starting out 0-2, giving the D-backs another golden opportunity. Jorge Barrosa stepped in and hit a sharp line drive but right at the second baseman. Suarez froze instead of heading back towards the bag, and got doubled off. Lovullo said that was definitely a mistake too, as the runner should be leaning back towards the bag on an infield line drive.

With multiple opportunities squandered, the score stayed 2-2 heading to the bottom of the 9th when the team's hottest hitter, Alexander's spot in the lineup came up. By this time hard throwing right hander Jonathan Loasaiga was in the game for the Yankees and Lovullo opted to pinch hit with left hand batter Jace Peterson. Peterson grounded out to first to make the second out of a one-two- three inning.

That substitution had cascade effects later in the game. But first Kevin Ginkel came on to pitch the 10th inning with the ghost runner on second. His very first pitch was a belt high fastball on the inniner half to Alex Verdugo. Pouncing on that location mistake, the left-hand batter deposited the ball into the right field bleachers giving the Yankees a 4-2 lead.

The D-backs fought back however. Joc Pederson came on to pinch hit for Tucker Barnhart with Barrosa on second to start the inning. Pederson tapped out to first. Geraldo Perdomo came up and hit a ball to shortstop, but Anthony Volpe made a throwing error, allowing Barrosa to score. Perdomo rounded first awkwardly and limped into second base. He had to come out of the game with a right knee injury and was replaced by pinch runner Jake McCarthy. Lovullo said Perdomo is day to day, but it didn't look good, as he was limping quite badly.

The inning continued when Corbin Carroll tapped an infield hit to the middle of the diamond, bringing McCarthy around to score the tying run of the game. Off to the 11th they went. Ketel Marte, originally the DH for this game, had to go to shortstop, and Moreno went behind the plate in place of Barnhart. Lovullo's bench was now empty, which is what set up McGough's at bat in the bottom of the 11th.

Before that though, with McGough on the mound in the top of the 11th and a runner on third he balked in the go ahead run. McGough said the pitch clock was winding down and he was rushing. He thought he came set, but the umpire thought otherwise and called the balk. Just one more mistake.

The next mistake was Lovullo's. With first base open he opted to allow McGough to pitch to Judge. Judge promptly doubled in another run to put the Yankees up 6-4. Lovullo acknowledged not walkng the Yankee slugger was mistake. "I'm kicking myself for that right now, of course."

The D-backs still didn't give up. With Gurriel starting the inning on second base, Christian Walker was hit by a pitch, putting two men on. After Suarez and Peterson struck out, Barrosa hit a flair into right center scoring Gurriel, thus bringing the score to 6-5. Yankee manager Aaron Boone elected to intentionally walk Moreno, setting up the fateful final at bat for McGough.

The D-backs are now 4-3 on the season. Thursday is an off day before the begin a three game series in Atlanta on Friday as the first stop of seven day road trip. Tommy Henry will start for the Diamondbacks and Spencer Strider gets the ball for the Braves. Game time is 4:20 Arizona time.